


Alice in Wonderland: Love at First Kiss

by McNuggets



Series: Those Crazier South Park Days [6]
Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alice In Wonderland AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26179234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McNuggets/pseuds/McNuggets
Summary: In a world that relies on roles, what happens when an outsider is chosen to be Queen? Will she choose the world she's meant to rule over, or will she choose the man who's actively trying to leave his own role?It only takes a kiss for an honest love to bloom.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak, Kenny McCormick/Original Female Character(s), Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh
Series: Those Crazier South Park Days [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776412
Kudos: 5





	Alice in Wonderland: Love at First Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MinnowShark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinnowShark/gifts).



> I've always wanted to do an Alice in Wonderland based SP AU, because Alice, in Wonderland...get it? Yes, another Alice/Kenny centric fic because I can't get enough of this pairing.
> 
> This began as something else entirely that was a ton more complicated, but I have my best friend Min to help me set myself straight, and this is what I came out with. The other one was...much more different.
> 
> I've also been reading a lot of Heart no Kuni no Alice lately, so I took some elements of that series and put it in this fic, just not enough for it to be a crossover. Tho a few things are original ideas.
> 
> Enjoy!

The chapel was empty, save for the one single man that entered through the doors. He wore a crown atop of his head, gold and accented with red heart-shaped rubies. While he was dressed like a regal king, he was still young. Hair as black as coal, pale skin, and eyes as blue as oceans. He looked lost, nearly troubled, the man walking further into the chapel and ascending the stairs to the second floor.

It had been many time periods when he lost his Queen, under circumstances he couldn’t control. Without her it was starting to take a toll on him. It was lonely, governing a kingdom all on your own. Though, it wasn’t natural. A new Queen should have come along, a new role should have been formed, yet here he was, going to the looking glass for his answers. He needed to know why the new Queen hadn’t been found yet, he needed to know who she was so he could retrieve her.

The King stopped as soon as he made it into the loft, staring straight ahead to something that was bigger than he was, draped with a cloth, a sheet of linen. He took a deep breath and began to step forward, closing the distance between them until he was close enough to reach for the sheet, and with one swift move he tugged it away, the sheet falling to the floor and revealing a large mirror, shaped like a door and wider than two. He stared at his reflection for quite some time, silent and nervous. Here he would get all the answers.

He gazed at the mirror’s surface, taking one more step forward, “Please show me our next Queen.”

The surface kept showing his face for a moment longer, and the man grew anxious, before a ripple in the reflection marred his image like a ripple in a pond, and a new image appeared. The image of a woman.

The King stared at the image that was presented to him, a woman with long auburn hair pulled into a braid, wearing a white coat and what looked like to be blue shorts and something else, but the thing that caught him were her eyes - two different colors, green and blue.

This was the new Queen, but who was she?

The girl was hurrying outside from the home she was in, jogging to a box and pulling down the door, taking out a stack of letters. She sifted through each one quickly, murmuring something under her breath while dropping the ones she didn’t care about. Then she stopped, taking a long pause, her eyes widening as she found what she was looking for. She nearly dropped it out of her excitement, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a black bar and tapping it, holding the device to her ear. “Red? Meet me at the coffee shop.” There was a pause, the woman bouncing on her heels in excitement. “Yes, it came! It finally came! Get Bebe, I’ll meet you in ten.” She pulled the black bar away then, spinning around and giggling to herself. “I need to change!” She cried, and as she ran back toward the home she came from, the ripples came back to mar the image, returning the King to the reflection of himself.

While he had been watching, another person had snuck into the chapel, deft footsteps not making a sound as he moved. He possessed a set of orange cat ears and a matching tail that was flicking in curiosity, the cat-man with sunflower blonde hair sneaking up the stairway to spy on the King. He watched on as the man was removing himself of his kingly robe, exposing a uniform-like set of garments underneath. The blonde quirked his head to the side, sneaking further into the room and hiding behind a box.

The King had made his decision, no one would notice if he was gone for just a second, right? He removed the crown from his head and placed it on top of his robes, returning to the looking glass. He looked like a regular person without his robe or crown, just a commoner. “Take me to her.” He commanded to the mirror before him, getting no response for a couple of minutes until the ripples returned, the reflective image turning into a door.

The cat’s eyebrows raised into his hair as the King opened the door to pass through, the man removing himself from his hiding spot quickly and heading over to the door. Curiosity was overwhelming him. Where was the King going? He reached for the doorknob before the image could revert back, taking no time in thinking about what he was doing before following after the King.

The door shut after that, and it turned back into a mirror, the room now empty again.

* * *

A mirror somewhere in a clothing store in downtown Denver had begun to ripple, and Stan had stepped out of it. He blinked, looking around the store and instantly not knowing where he was, or what this place was. He looked along the clothes, moving forward to run his hands along the fabric curiously and quirking a brow. It felt unlike what he was used to. He was about to pick it up until he remembered that he had someone to find, and he wandered the store until he found the door that led out into the city.

The moment he stepped out he became overwhelmed immediately, the sights and sounds were loud, the cars, the people, the yelling and honking, construction work, the way that the buildings were so tall and there wasn’t anything that looked familiar at all. Where the hell was he? The longer he stared the more he didn’t notice the people around him, until someone shoved him as they passed. He whipped his head in their direction, “Watch where you’re going!” He shouted.

The man didn’t turn back, flipping Stan off as he continued onward.

The King grumbled, looking away and to the opposite direction. How was he supposed to find her? Stan began to walk one direction, not knowing where to go or how to get there until he remembered what he had. He dug into his breast pocket, taking out a golden framed mirror. “Show me where she is.” He commanded, and the mirror’s surface began to ripple, showing him a building, a small cafe. He frowned at that, continuing to walk.

As the King had left, Kenny had escaped the confines of the clothing store. It was amazing, everything was so different! His eyes roamed around the street, taking in the sights and sounds, grinning widely. He barely noticed the people passing by who were giving him odd looks, mostly because of his cat-ears and tail, but also because of the orange boa of fur that he held around him like an accessory. He didn’t seem to mind the stares, because he was used to it all, the rude animosity from _everyone_.

What was the King of Hearts looking for, exactly? He had no idea, but he wasn’t going to waste this sudden trip into a new world, turning the opposite direction of where the King had gone and starting to walk. He wondered how big this village was, staring up at the sky scrapers in wide-eyed wonder. He wandered out into the street, suddenly breaking out of his astonishment when a car suddenly stopped and a horn was honked. He jumped at the sound, waving at the person in the car before crossing the street to allow them passage. He then began to watch the cars, impressed. “Self-moving carriages.” He said to himself, seeing the many types and models.

Indeed, he looked out of place in this busy village, and as he walked down the sidewalk he passed many people, some were whispering and pointing his way while others were oogling him. He didn’t think anything of it, heading around the corner as he got towards the end of the block and following the people when they crossed the street. Everything was busy, more busy than what he was used to. People were always coming or going, there was constant activity.

As he stepped past a coffee shop the smell of freshly baked pastries hit his nose, and his ears twitched. He stopped, turning around and following the scent to the shop itself. He felt his stomach rumble, and suddenly he wanted what he had smelled.

Inside the coffee shop sat a group of three women, one with blonde hair and one with red, while the other had auburn, still in that braid. Her hands lingered on the envelope that was placed in the center of the table. “This is it, this will decide my fate.” She said to her friends, frowning.

“I’m sure you got in, Alice.” The blonde grinned, “You’re pretty smart and you know what you’re doing.”

“There’s no way they will reject you.” The redhead added, rubbing circles in her back. “Just take a deep breath and open it.”

“How about you open it for me Bebe?” She nudged the envelope towards her, looking nervous.

Bebe didn’t do a thing, but Red reached for it and snatched it away from Alice’s hands. “I’ll do it, wimp.”

Alice shut her eyes tight, listening to the crinkle of the paper as Red tore it open and unfolded the letter. There was a moment of silence, and Alice could feel the apprehension. “Red?”

The redhead kept her eyes on the paper, lowering it to look at Alice. She had a frown on her face that said it all. “Sorry Alice…you didn’t get the grant.”

The woman finally opened her eyes, groaning quietly and lowering her head onto the table. This grant was supposed to propel her carrier. She wanted to have her weapons be used by the military. She worked so hard on her weapons, so damn hard.

Only to be rejected.

She could feel the depression trying to coil around her, her mind telling her she wasn’t good enough. She’ll never be good enough.

“Oh that’s something you don’t see.”

“Who is that?”

Alice lifted her head up, looking at her friends, “Huh?”

“Don’t look, a total weirdo just came in.” Bebe whispered.

“Is there a convention in town?” Red wondered.

Alice turned her head to where her friends were looking, seeing the striking image of a blonde man with orange cat ears and a tail. She wanted to look away but she couldn’t bring herself to, studying his appearance. The orange crop top and the kilt over his pants, the brown belts that hung off his hips, the brown _collar_ that was around his neck, its gold chain attaching to his belt loop. Not to mention that orange boa that he wore around him to make the outfit complete.

The man didn’t take notice of anyone, going to where he smelled the food and peering into the pastries display, looking hungry.

“Why does he look like that?” Asked Bebe.

“I don’t know.” Alice found herself getting up from her seat, ignoring her friend’s cries as she made her way over to him. He was practically against the display. It looked almost cute.

“Excuse me.”

Kenny’s head turned towards the voice, going still at the sight of the woman. He looked at her, taking in her hair, clothes, the eyes that he hadn’t seen before. Who was this pretty woman?

Alice found herself faltering, unable to look away from Kenny’s appearance. He was so handsome. Her eyes went up then, noticing how the ears were twitching. They looked real…

She was spacing out, snapping out of her stupor quickly and smiling at him. “Are you hungry?”

Kenny nodded slowly, unable to think of anything to say. He finally moved away from the display, noticing the workers that were staring at him oddly.

“I can buy you something.” She said then, curiosity peaking. She wanted to know why he was dressed the way he was. “What do you want?”

It took him a moment longer to realize that he was staring at the woman, finally tearing his eyes away and pointing to the doughnut. “The ones that smell good.” Meaning all of them.

A grin formed on Alice’s face and she giggled, the sound catching Kenny’s attention again. The man felt flustered. This woman was the only one that approached him ever since he came here, and already he felt magnetically attracted to her and her megawatt smile.

Alice took out her wallet, proceeding to go up to the counter so she could buy him a pastry. Bebe and Red stared on, confused and puzzled as to why Alice was engaging with such a weird looking man.

“Why is she…?”

“I don’t know.” Red looked back down at the torn letter, “You’d assume that she’d be more devastated about the rejection.”

“Well you gotta hand it to her, he’s kinda hot for a weirdo.” Bebe smirked, “If he got rid of the crazy getup then I’d go after him too.”

“Honestly, all you think about is boys.” Red muttered, “I’m worried about Alice’s mental stability. She’s ignoring her rejection letter for the sake of flirting with another guy.”

“Oop shh,” Bebe hushed her friend quickly as the two made their way back to the table. In Kenny’s hands was a bag and a cup, the man looking pretty happy about what he had. He sat down next to Bebe while Alice smiled and sat back in her seat. “Who’s the guy, Alice?” Asked Bebe.

“Is he someone you know?” Red was curious.

“Nope.” Alice smiled widely, and the two girls looked at each other before groaning quietly. “His name is Kenny.”

“Yo.” The man smiled, digging into his bag to take out the doughnut and proceeding to eat.

Outside the cafe and across the street, Stan had managed to make a loop around the block and had to double-back when the mirror informed him on where to go. When he finally saw the cafe he stopped dead in his tracks, a breath of relief passing his lips. “Now to meet my Queen.” He said to himself.

Though, before he could move, the mirror in his hand rippled again, exposing a blonde man with rabbit ears, “My King?” He cried out, “My King where are you?”

Stan grimaced at the high-pitched scream, looking back down at the mirror. “What is it?”

“We’ve been looking for you for a time period! I looked everywhere and when I looked in the chapel I found your crown and robes! Where did you go?” He sounded panicked and frightened, the man hoping that their King wasn’t ditching them.

“I’m on my way to get my Queen. Now leave me—“

Tweek screamed again, “Bad time, you need to come back please!” He flinched badly when Stan glared at him, “I wouldn’t be calling you if it wasn’t an emergency! Please!”

Stan lowered the mirror, staring at the cafe and feeling agitation growing inside of him. He was so close to retrieving her, but he had left his kingdom without anyone to run it. He weighed his options, realizing that he could retrieve her at any time and turning around. “Fine.” He grated out. “But this better be worth my time.” He added in a hiss, glaring at Tweek.

The nervous blonde rubbed his neck absentmindedly, quivering in fear. “It is!” Or at least, he hoped it was. His image was soon marred by ripples, the link between them having gone. Stan sighed, taking one last look at the cafe before making his way to the nearest window. He didn’t pay attention to the people on the street, reflecting his mirror on the surface of the window until the image presented him with a cloudy lilac backdrop. He walked through the window after that, catching onlooker’s attentions and making people stop what they were doing for the moment they saw him, the window rippling back to normal only a minute later.

Everyone was perplexed, staring at the window for a moment before carrying on with their day, while inside the cafe Bebe and Red were starting to feel awkward, staring at Kenny for the longest time. The blonde didn’t seem bothered by the stares, licking his fingers clean of the icing. Bebe looked from Kenny to Alice, who looked greatly amused with the cat-man, watching him lick his fingers with a grin on her face.

When his ears perked up Bebe sat up straighter, looking at Red. Red looked back at Bebe, both of them trying to talk telepathically, “Uh, Alice, aren’t we going to the mall?” Asked Bebe, loud enough for Kenny to hear.

“Yeah we’re supposed to go shopping today.” The two of them were just looking for an out so they could get Alice away from the weird looking blonde.

Alice continued to watch Kenny, staring up at his ears as they moved. They seemed so _real_. After a while she realized that they were talking to her, “No I don’t think we were.” Her eyes flickered back to the open envelope on the table and she remembered the rejection letter. “Actually, I want to get back home.” Her voice sounded a little more depressed, the tone catching Kenny’s attention as he turned his head to look at her. Why was she so sad?

“Well okay, but call us if you need to talk.” Red told her as Alice stood up, the woman grasping the letter in her hand and folding it up to put in her pocket. “About anything.” The woman pressed.

Alice nodded, and as she left Kenny’s head followed her before he got up as well and moved to follow.

Bebe blinked, “Are we going to let her alone with the cat-man?”

“I mean…she was friendly with him a while ago.” Red reasoned.

“He could be a nasty creepy-ass stalker!” Bebe argued, watching the door shut.

“Isn’t Alice a black belt?”

The blonde woman slumped forward, “Sometimes I worry about her.”

“I mean the rejection itself is a cause for worry.” Red frowned, “She’s put her heart and soul into those weapons. I can’t imagine what will happen now.”

The two of them soon became quiet, contemplating their friend’s mental health.

* * *

A block down the street Alice realized that she was being followed. She looked back, noticing the blonde cat-man. He only smiled and waved, the smile enough to distract her from the weight of her worries.

“Are you a stray?” She asked, waiting for Kenny to catch up before walking again.

“Sorta.” He replied, “I don’t really have a fixed home.”

She finally smiled, “So this is what I get for feeding strays, they up and follow me home.” She looked at his face again, catching his dazzling blue eyes. “Though none were this cute before.”

He grinned widely, “Aw, you called me cute. Normally I get called a pest.”

“I don’t see how you can be a pest.” Part of her wondered why she was making nice to a weird looking man she had never met before, but the other part of her was prepared if anything happened. She wanted a distraction from her major upset.

Kenny’s tail swayed and his ears perked up, this was the nicest and prettiest woman he’s ever met. He didn’t want to leave her side at this point, and he hoped he could stay longer.

Alice was honestly curious about him, given his sense of style and the realistic ears he had, she wondered if he was a play actor or anything like that. She stopped, and he did the same, the woman reaching for his ears to touch them, her eyes widening when she realized no, they weren’t fake at all. When she began to scratch behind them the man actually began to purr, nudging his head against her hand. Alice blushed instantly, yanking her hand back. The absence of that hand felt wrong and Kenny pouted. “Why’d you stop?”

“Those aren’t fake.” She said loudly.

“Why would they be?” He asked, confused.

She turned quickly and began walking again, and Kenny ran to keep up with her. “Where are we going?”

The fact that he said ‘we’ instead of ‘you’ didn’t pass by Alice without notice, but try as she might she couldn’t tell him to leave. The fact that the ears were real gave her so many questions. Where did he come from? What is he really? Was that why he wore such strange clothing? She had overwhelming curiosity that couldn’t be quelled any time soon, and given what she had just been through she wanted a major distraction. “We’re going home.” She told him, smiling at him. “It’s close.”

Kenny’s head perked at the word home, and he wondered what her home looked like. As his eyes gazed the many buildings around them he wondered which one was hers. “You live in one of these large structures?” She must be rich if she could afford such a large house.

“Yeah.” She reached out to take his hand, much to Kenny’s shock, leading him around the corner and across the street to a building. From the size of it, he couldn’t imagine what standing she might have in this village. Was this what qualified as mansions in this world?

He stayed silent as she took him up the stairs, his eyes roaming to the many doors, “Which room is the bedroom?” He asked, reading the numbers on each door. “You number your personal rooms?”

Alice blinked, nearly confused until she began to catch on. “This whole building isn’t mine, this is an apartment, many people live in this one building.” She took him to a door and grabbed her key, unlocking it. If he never heard of apartments before then he definitely wasn’t from here…not in this country, but in this world. Because everyone knew about apartments.

Kenny followed her inside, stopping as soon as he walked in and looking around the studio apartment. It wasn’t small, but it wasn’t huge. It was bigger than a normal villager house but a fraction of a mansion, and the best thing about this was it didn’t possess the topsy-turvy walls and stairs that he was used to. Everything was linear, and it was a nice change from the norm. He zeroed in on a table, one of three that had white sheets laying over something underneath. He lifted the sheet up to peek inside, seeing some kind of tool. “What’s this?”

Alice darted out to get between him and her inventions, laughing nervously, “They’re not important.”

“Yes they are, or they wouldn’t be covered like that.” Kenny pointed out, “What are they, weapons?”

Alice grinned widely, “You got it right quickly.”

He was only guessing, staring past her to the other two covered tables, “No way, what kind? Swords, spears?”

The fact that he was mentioning those types of weapons was solidifying the theory that he wasn’t from this world. “Special technology that’s supposed to revolutionize the weapon’s industry.” Her lackluster explanation seemed to concern the man before her, and he frowned.

“Why are you so sad about it?”

“Because—“ Alice sighed, turning to one of them and setting her hands on the corners of the table. “I intended them to be picked up by the government so they could contract me, but I was rejected.”

“I see.” He didn’t see. In fact, he didn’t understand government. Where he came from everything was different, but the fact that she made weapons was quite a reveal. She was pretty, kind, and talented! What else? “So you’re a blacksmith.” He surmised.

Alice paused, “Uh—I…kinda?” Blacksmith was a clue, that meant he came from somewhere old, but his clothes didn’t look dated. She proceeded to pull the sheet off of the weapon, revealing a short metal staff.

Kenny stepped closer, peering at it, “That won’t save you in a battle.” He said then, “It looks like a stick.”

“Move.” Alice told him, reaching down to press a button. Kenny managed to jump away quickly as the staff became longer, almost three times its original size. His eyes widened and he stared at it in wonder, watching as Alice picked it up, stepping to an empty part of the apartment. From there she began to twirl the staff, using it like an expert, in which she was. “It only reacts to your fingerprint, only I can use it. That’s what it’s supposed to be, a weapon tailored to your fingerprint.”

Kenny watched on, impressed. She knew how to fight! Not many women knew how to fight, not where he came from. He wondered if it was different here. The thought was amusing and a breath of fresh air. He wanted to stay longer than he intended. Kenny perched on the arm of her couch, watching her deactivate the staff so she could return it. “I don’t see why people don’t like what you’re doing, it looks pretty great. You’d blow the other blacksmiths out of the water where I come from.”

Alice smiled at him, flattered by his words. “I’m not a blacksmith, I’m an electrical engineer.”

Kenny ran that by his head, “Electrical…”

She went over to switch her light on and off, catching Kenny by surprise, he stared up at the light overhead as it switched. “How?”

“I have a feeling you’re not from here.” The woman went back to him, staring mainly at his ears. “No one here has cat ears or a tail.” She pointed out, reaching to scratch behind his ears. The reaction was instant, the purring that made her giggle. She removed her hand, blushing suddenly. How much of a cat was he?

Don’t think about that.

Kenny had to hand it to her, she was smart. “I’m not. I’m actually from a placed called Wonderland.”

Alice tilted her head, “Wonderland?”

“Yeah, it’s…” How could he say that he didn’t like living there, he wasn’t all that welcomed in Wonderland, outside of his friend’s mansion. They tried so many times to behead him, but they forgot that a cat has nine lives. “It’s okay.” He said finally, still looking around her home and taking in things he’s never seen before, mainly the appliances. This world was more interesting in his opinion, there were so many people.

They all had a role, that’s the main thing that amazed him. Everyone was equal.

He wondered what role Alice had.

Kenny ended up staring at her, as she was standing so close to him. He reached forward to cup the side of her head. The eyes were the thing that he couldn’t look away from. No one in his world had two different eyes. Did this mean her role was special? The longer their eyes met the more that time slowed down. Alice couldn’t really move away, and she didn’t want to break whatever pull that he had on her. He was a stray cat that followed her home, not of this world and he chose to go home with _her_.

He didn’t know what compelled him to kiss her, but he did. The kiss soft and chaste but enough to send time into a screeching halt. Alice went still from the action, her heart beating quickly. Everything that weighed her down previously was soon forgotten in that one action and she finally allowed herself to return it.

“Kenny!”

Though, before Kenny could do anything he heard a voice in his pocket. The kiss ended soon after and time had returned to a moving pace, and Alice was left speechless, watching as the cat-man pulled a silver framed mirror out of his pocket. She blinked confusedly, was that a phone?

“I was in the middle of something.” Kenny replied, sounding a little annoyed.

“I thought you were coming back with the tea!” The voice on the other end shouted. “Where’s our tea?”

Kenny stilled, soon remembering the tea he had pilfered from Heart Castle, though it was quickly forgotten when he saw the King enter the chapel. “Oh yeah. I hid it in a bush.”

“Whatever you’re doing can wait until we get our tea!” Said the voice, sounding irritated.

The blonde sighed, “Fine, fine.” He lowered the mirror, looking up at Alice, who was watching curiously. He smiled slyly and winked at her, “I’ll be back.”

Alice frowned, “Where are you going?”

“I need to run an errand.” Kenny got up from his seat and looked around, finding a full-length mirror on the wall. Alice followed him, still curious. “I’ll come back soon.” He said to her, placing his mirror before the bigger one until the surface began to ripple and turn into a cloudy lilac. He nearly jumped through the mirror without another thought, and Alice’s eyes widened and she went over to the mirror, staring into it. Was this a door?

Wait, was he going to Wonderland?

Alice hesitated, but the need to know where he came from outweighed all logic, and she reached forward, gasping as her hand rippled through the mirror’s surface. Taking a breath, she managed a laugh.

“Yolo, right?” A grin reached her face and she hurried inside. The surface had rippled again and the mirror returned to normal, reflecting an empty room.

* * *

Alice didn’t know where she was. The whole place was cloudy and she had been wandering for a good while. She wondered if she got lost, but then that didn’t sound right. Kenny should be here, right? Is this where Kenny lived?

“Where the fuck am I?” She asked herself, though once she stopped she could see a distant gleam. She smiled, breaking out into a run until she came onto another mirror. It was displayed as a large mahogany door with a heart for a knob. “Huh, is this where he went?” Alice reached forward, taking a hold of the doorknob and turning. On the other side was a loft full of boxes. She stepped through, turning back as the door shut behind her and rippled away, the surface reflecting Alice’s form. She blinked, turning away and stepping towards the one window in the loft, gazing outside. Her eyes fell upon a lush green garden that had many red roses. It looked beautiful, the large hedges and the nearby castle. This must be where Kenny lived.

Wonderland.

She found the stairs that led down, and Alice quickly realized that she was in a chapel. Her eyes lingered on the stained-glass windows of roses and hearts before she found the doors that led her outside. Once she stepped out she was met with lovely spring temperature, which was strange cuz when she was in her world it was autumn. A grin appeared on her face and Alice proceeded to make her way towards the entrance of the garden, curious about the roses. Each and every one of them looked so delicate and beautiful, almost perfect. There were no dead petals or drooping flowers. She leaned in to smell one, unaware of the guard that had stepped around the corner and spotted her.

“What are you doing in the King’s garden?” Asked the voice. Alice didn’t look at first, glancing to the side and noticing a man in a uniform. She finally decided to turn, actually freezing in place when she saw that this man didn’t have a face. She blinked, bewildered, her eyes flickering down to the card face on the front of his blazer. Two of hearts.

“Where the fuck is your face?” She blurted out loudly, wincing just as she did. The faceless guard only stared at her, tightening his hand around the spear in his grasp. The question could only be from an outsider. Though, he wondered how an outsider came here.

“Come with me.” He finally said, not threatening her but the weapon in his hand told her otherwise. Alice debated her choices for a moment, follow the faceless man or run. Though, she was here for a single purpose. Maybe they could help her find Kenny. She eventually nodded, following him towards the castle.

The further she was led through the gardens the more she realized that it was a giant labyrinth. She couldn’t pinpoint the way she came in anymore, the two of them taking multiple turns until they reached a bigger area that possessed fancy outdoor furniture and trees. She stayed quiet, looking amazed at how pretty everything was.

The castle looked immaculate, made with marble and ivory with black, red, and white checkerboard flooring and blood red carpets. There were marble posts on either side of the hallway, with busts of two figures, which looked young. She took them to be the King and Queen. There was gold inlay decorating every inch of the corners and edges of the walls, and the ceilings were high and painted like the Sistine Chapel.

Alice could notice the other guards, standing with maids with a theme to them - they were also faceless, yet they were staring at her and whispering amongst themselves. She tried to ignore their eyeless stares. When they had approached a pair of large mahogany double doors they stopped, the guard signaling to another, five of hearts, to open them.

Once they opened Alice was forced to move, marching down a red carpet that led to two golden thrones that were raised on platforms. One of the thrones were empty, only a crown sitting on the red cushion, while the second was occupied by a man with raven hair and blue eyes, wearing ornate robes and wearing his own crown. Alice glanced down at her blue hoodie and shorts, feeling very, very, underdressed.

At the King’s side was a blonde man that was twitching anxiously, his vest being haphazardly buttoned. Atop of his head were bunny ears, also twitching as much as he was.

She only stood there, not knowing what to do or the protocol for meeting a King was, though she wondered why the King looked as young as her. He seemed to be stunned silent at the sight of her, however, staring at her so intently that Alice wondered if something was written on her face. She turned her head to look for anyone else behind her, soon realizing that yes, he was staring at _her_.

“What?” She asked, confused. “Why are you staring at me?”

The King stood up from his throne, silent. The rabbit-man made a small cry but covered his mouth quickly before anyone could look at him, staring straight at Alice in shock. The woman only looked confused, wondering why the room was so silent. When the King stopped before her she frowned, “What?” She asked.

Stan couldn’t believe what he was staring at. The Queen that the looking glass had prophesied to him was now standing right in front of him. She was brought here! It was like a sign, she came here. He didn’t know how she came here but he didn’t give a fuck, the most important thing was that she was here now, she was now his. He dropped down to one knee, and everyone gasped. Her breath was caught as he took her hand to his lips to kiss it. What the fuck was happening?

“My Queen.”

Did she hear that right? Was he calling her his Queen? Much to Alice’s shock everyone in the throne room dropped to their knees as well, and she looked around, stunned. “What the—“

“Do you need anything?” Stan asked then, “Are you tired, was your journey long?”

Alice yanked her hand away when he tightened his hold. She was just here to find Kenny! “I just got here, what the fuck do you mean ‘My Queen’?” Her voice rose an octave, but Stan didn’t look phased.

“You’re tired.” He finally decided, standing back up, “The lady is tired, Tweek, go show her to her rooms!” He commanded then, turning to the rabbit-man. The blonde jumped, darting towards Alice and ushering her out.

“Where are we going?” Alice asked, “I’m not tired!”

When she shouted he actually cried out, “Don’t take my head!” He ducked down as if on instinct, “I’m only doing as I was asked.”

Down a corridor and up a stairwell, they proceeded towards the east end of the castle. She was brought to a pair of ornate double doors, and Tweek was inside first, and soon Alice was presented with a beautiful room. The main attraction was the king sized bed that was blanketed in red and black, yet the room was entirely white with gold decorations. Fancy paintings were hung on the walls, looking almost like renaissance paintings but none were recognizable to ones that she knew. The ceiling nearly sparkled, a golden chandelier hanging down from the center. To the right was a large window that led out into a balcony, while to the left was two wardrobes and a writing desk in the middle. Alice began to feel overwhelmed, leaving the door to approach the bed, feeling the blankets. Cashmere blankets.

“The maids will be up here right away to measure you for your garments.” Tweek began, “Nngh if you have special requests they’ll do anything to fulfill them. If they don’t do what you ask we’ll be sure to behead them—“

“I’m not going to behead anyone.” Alice interrupted him, sitting down. She turned her head to look out the window, noticing it was now black as night. She stilled, just a moment ago the sun was just rising, how was it night already? She felt dizzy trying to think about it.

“I can’t imagine being royalty.” Tweek said honestly, “Being your Paige is too much pressure already. T-t-thank you for not beheading me!” His eye twitched, and Alice sighed.

“I don’t plan on doing any of that.” She told him tiredly, “Now, can you…leave? I need to think.” She couldn’t stay here, this was all too sudden. Why were they calling her Queen? She wasn’t even from here. Everything was starting to get confusing and the only thing she wanted was Kenny.

She had to get out of here.

Tweek left before anything else was said, and Alice was now alone in the bedroom. She tried to think, but nothing made sense. There was literally no explanation as to why she was being called a Queen. Maybe if she asked Kenny, she would get an answer, but she would have to find him first. Tea, he was delivering tea to someone, right?

Alice stood up and went over to the balcony, looking down to see that she was on the second floor. She thought about jumping, wondering if she could make it without alerting anyone. She definitely had done it before, so why not do it again?

She looked back at the room, checking if anyone was there before climbing onto the balcony’s edge, launching herself off of the perch. She kept her legs together and once her feet hit the ground she tucked and rolled, catching herself and looking around the grounds quickly before getting back to her feet and hurrying to the first thing she could see in the distance - a forest. She just wished that it wasn’t nighttime, though she at least had the moon on her side.

Some time after Alice had left, the sky had become dusk. A maid had entered the room, on orders of the King to measure Alice for her clothes. Though, when she noticed that no one was there, she began to panic. Not even the bed had been touched. She turned quickly, addressing the two other maids behind her. “She’s not there.” She whispered.

“Are you sure?” Asked another, “She could be in the bath.”

For her sake she at leased hoped so, and the maid entered the room, making a beeline for the bathroom. No, that was empty as well. An anxious thought passed her mind and she felt her neck by instinct. “She’s gone.” The maid’s voice wavered, “What are we going to tell the King?”

“She’s gone, we can’t tell him anything else other than that.”

The third maid turned her head over to the balcony, “Did she jump?”

“She must have, someone would have noticed if she snuck out of her room.”

“I’m going to die.” Fretted the first maid, “Our Queen is missing and I’m going to be beheaded.”

“I doubt that the King will take it that far.”

That was the last thing they said before finding the King to alert him of the news, but the first maid was wrong, she wasn’t going to die.

All three of them were.

As the three maids were taken away by the guards, Tweek turned to his King. “What now, my King?”

Stan’s hands were shaking, and he was trying not to lose it more than he already did. “I want all my men out there to find her.” He said harshly, “They’re not to come back until she’s found, or they’re losing their heads.”

Tweek’s eye twitched, “Do I send the Ace of Hearts?” He asked nervously.

The thought ran through Stan’s head, unleashing his best knight would assure him he’d get what he wanted, and after a moment of silence he nodded. “He’ll find her.” Stan said then, “He’s good at that.”

Tweek nodded quickly and turned to dart out of the room, and Stan tried to take a steady breath, sitting down though gripping the armrest. If he didn’t get Alice back he was going to kill everyone just to take the edge off.

* * *

It was hard to navigate the forest when there wasn’t much light to illuminate your path, though the most peculiar thing Alice had ever seen were the fact that the mushrooms were _glowing_. Perhaps that made it easier, though she still preferred natural sunlight.

Though after a while of wandering in the dark, the sunlight was suddenly trickling beams through the gaps in the trees, and Alice wondered why the time here was so unstable. It was only night a few seconds ago, and there wasn’t any transition. Well, at least she was getting light as it was, so her want for answers could wait until she found Kenny.

She continued to wander through the forest, in only one set direction, away from the castle. So far she didn’t come across anyone she could gain directions from, nor could she hear any telltale voices. It was frustrating and logical at the same time, because who else would be wandering the forests other than her? No, she was probably the only one within miles.

After what seemed like forever, Alice finally began to see something in the distance. She picked up her pace, breaking out into a run until she came upon a large two-story house. She sighed happily, hoping that the person who lived in that house was home and maybe she could get some answers or directions. She proceeded to make her way to the front door, lifting her hand up to knock on it a few times.

No answer.

Alice frowned, walking over to the nearest window and peeking inside, finding no one moving around. She went back to the door, testing a sudden curious thought and turning the handle. It wasn’t locked! She laughed at that, “I guess it’s safe enough not to lock doors around here.” She said to herself, stepping inside the house. She looked around, taking in how quaint and erratic the house looked on the inside. It was the kitchen that she was in, full of the typical furnishings, but the major thing that stood out were the multiple cups of coffee that were scattered about. Mugs either half-full or nearly empty, a couple tipped over. On the stove was a percolator, the counters possessed jars full of coffee beans and a coffee grinder sat next to them, and because of the overabundance of coffee the house completely smelled like freshly ground beans.

The coffee wasn’t the thing that caught her interest, however, it was the small basket of pastries that were sitting in the center of a table. Her stomach growled at the sight of them and Alice realized that she hadn’t eaten all morning…her morning. She made her way over to the table and reached for a doughnut, bringing it closer and staring at it. No one would notice if she took it…right? She glanced around the room again and noted that it was still silent, grinning. She sighed, moving to eat the doughnut and making a happy noise on how good it tasted. It wasn’t even a day old!

“I’m telling you, if he doesn’t find her then he’s gonna execute everyone!”

As soon as Alice heard the voice she whipped around, making a sound. She realized then that her body began to shrink. “Huh?” She looked around, finding that the room was getting larger and larger…why was she shrinking? Though, once she was tiny she felt the footsteps hit the floorboard, and Alice ran underneath the table.

“Calm down honey, he’s not going to execute you. You’re a role holder.” Said a voice.

“Nnngh I can’t calm down!” Tweek’s voice went up a few octaves, the rabbit-man bursting into the room, not noticing that the door was slightly open. Behind him was another man, also with rabbit ears, but his were black like his hair. He wore blue, almost like a uniform, but the most important thing was that he had a face!

“I don’t see why the outsider is important,” Craig continued, moving to rub Tweek’s back soothingly, “I never heard of an outsider becoming a role holder.”

“Yes but we haven’t found a replacement Queen in so many time periods!” Tweek squeaked out, “He said the looking glass told him where to find her. She was in another world completely.”

“How did an outsider get here in the first place?”

“I don’t know!” Tweek stressed, going for one of the cups of coffee and sipping on it, only to cringe and put it back down. He made his way to the grinder to make more.

Craig sighed, making his way to the table to collect all the forgotten cups. “The King has you tied up in knots.”

“It’s worse now that there’s no Queen!” Tweek bemoaned, “He’s growing angry. If we don’t get her back to him then I don’t know who he might go after next. It won't matter if I am a role holder, he won’t care about that!”

Alice continued to listen, frowning. So someone told them she was to be the next Queen? That didn’t make sense. Though, it made as much sense as a world that one could get to through a mirror or the erratic skipping of time, or the fact that she was now ten sizes too small. This world seemed to have no logic, and as an engineer, she thrived on logic itself. This world was against everything she believed in.

Why would she be chosen to be Queen in such a topsy-turvy world? Either way, she didn’t want it. Especially since the King sounded like a complete psychopath…though he didn’t act that way towards her, he was almost kind and attentive - for the five seconds they talked.

She had to get out of here, she suddenly decided, and she waited for Craig to turn around before running, trying to make it to the door before anyone could see her. Thankfully she ran track when she was in high school, she was quick on her feet when she needed to be. So far she didn’t hear anyone say anything, and she managed to get to the crack in the door without anyone noticing her. She breathed a sigh of relief, pushing her way through the crack and back outside.

Everything looked different when you’re an inch tall. For one thing, the front yard of the house looked more like a trek and the grass was tall enough that you could get lost in. She didn’t know which way she was going, only trying to get as far away from the house as possible. She could hear so much more while she was this size. She could hear footsteps trembling the ground, she could hear the insects that passed her by. She was as big as a bug, and the mushrooms all looked bigger and much more impressive. By the time she began to get tired of being small she had made it to the cusp of the forest again, a small area surrounded by mushrooms. In the center was a bigger mushroom, and on top of that mushroom was…

A caterpillar? No, he almost looked like a man as well. A brunette…smoking a cigarette? He noticed Alice as soon as she stepped out of the grass, narrowing his eyes in thought as she stepped closer.

“You look out of place.” He was speaking in a French accent, and strapped to his back was a shovel. Why would a caterpillar need a shovel, she did not know in the slightest.

“At least you figured it out, not everyone else thinks the same.” She replied, putting her hands in her hoodie pocket. “They assume I’m the next Queen for some reason.”

“Zhe Queen?” The caterpillar spat it out offensively, “Zhey are getting desperate. You’re clearly an outsider.”

“What does that mean?” Alice asked, finally stopping at the foot of the mushroom. Her eyes lingered on him, and that’s when Christophe noticed her eyes. His brow quirked in thought.

“Outsiders…are…special. It’s self-explanatory. You do not come from ‘ere. But because you are an outsider, you are special.”

Alice frowned, “How am I special?” It was the biggest question on her mind.

“You are untouched by zhe roles of zhis world, unless you become zhe Queen, zhen you inherit ‘er role.” He took a long drag of his cigarette, “You won’t be able to leave if zhat ‘appens.”

“I won’t be able to leave?” She cried out, “I only came here to look for one person!”

“I suggest you return where you came from.” Christophe said to her, “You don’t belong ‘ere.”

Alice pulled her hands from her pocket and sighed, holding her head. “I can’t go anywhere until I find Kenny… and I can’t find Kenny until I return to my normal height.” She looked back at him, “Is there a way for me to become taller again?”

“Zhe answer is right in front of your nose.” He sounded condescending now, folding his many arms while the one with the cigarette pointed downward. “One side will make you bigger, zhe other side will make you smaller.”

Alice followed where he was pointing, her eyes falling onto the mushroom itself. “The mushroom?”

“Oui.” He began to lower himself, bending over so he could closely inspect her, taking in her eyes for the most part. “For an outsider…you’re more zhan special. Zhose eyes, I’ve never seen such eyes.”

Alice smiled, pointing to the blue eye. “One of them’s fake, I lost it in an accident.”

The Frenchman nodded, one hand on his chin as he inspected them before straightening up, “Don’t linger too long ‘ere. You won’t be able to leave.”

“I’m leaving as soon as I find Kenny.” Alice reached out to break a piece of the mushroom away.

“Ah…you’re following zhat.” He snorted in amusement, “Curiosity killed zhe cat.” He said cryptically.

She managed to break two pieces from the mushroom, taking a look at one and then the other and weighing her decisions. “Well…let’s experiment.” She said to herself, taking a bite out of one. It happened in an instant, and Alice cried out, her height sprouting like a weed until she was back to her normal height. She stumbled back from the mushroom, afraid to step on it.

“Jesus…” She said to herself, putting away the mushroom pieces in her shorts pocket. “Okay those are good for emergencies.”

Alice went quiet after that, looking up at the sky. It was daylight again, and she sighed. “Time doesn’t exist here does it?” She asked herself, deciding on a route and heading further into the forest.

She had managed to get far enough away from the White Rabbit’s house, and so far she didn’t hear anyone else. Though, all of this walking was starting to tire her out, doubled with the absence of time the searching was beginning to take its toll on her. She sighed, stopping to lean against a tree.

Then it became night again.

“Goddammit.” Alice cursed, finding herself immersed in darkness again. “I need to find somewhere to nap.” She said to herself, trudging forward despite her legs growing tired. Still, nothing was visible but faint glows of mushrooms on the ground. She placed her focus onto the mushrooms, and soon realizing that they were edging a path of some kind. They were all leading a certain direction.

When she was beginning to wonder how long it would be until she would find some place to stay, Alice began to see light. It was a soft light that pierced through the forest like a beacon in pitch black. The pathway she was on was now a checkerboard pattern, teal and violet, winding around and leading her forward. She broke into a run, needing to see what she was heading towards, shoving herself past a bush to come upon a building.

It was breathtaking. It looked like a mansion that molded with a clock tower, a large clock sat at the top, but the time kept switching to random intervals. The mansion itself was alternating colors of teal and violet. The gardens that surrounded it were even more breathtaking, with teal and purple colored roses - Alice had never seen teal colored roses! Her eyes fixated on the grand structure, more-so the gilded gates that separated her from the mansion. She stepped towards them, curiously. She’d been curious a lot lately.

The gates began to open once she was close enough, and Alice grinned widely, moving forward. She hoped that whoever was inside this place was kind, or at least hospitable. The closer she came to the entrance the more she could notice two faceless guards standing there, and Alice realized that she forgot to ask the caterpillar about the people without faces. They opened the doors without so much as a word, silently allowing her entrance.

Checkerboard flooring, that’s what she noticed first. The same color scheme as the pathway outside, leading her way down a long corridor. To the sides were doors of different sizes and alternating colors and down another corridor was a stairwell. When she looked up, however, there was even more. Multiple stairwells in every direction, the checkerboard hallway even on the ceiling and doors that continued to alternate in colors and sizes. It looked like a real M.C. Escher painting and she felt dizzy looking at it, spotting a maid wandering upside down into another hallway that turned right-side up.

The most strange part about it was that the mansion looked bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. The lack of sense in this entire mansion was enough to confuse her engineer brain.

“Welcome welcome! Guests are always welcome for tea!” Called a voice, and Alice followed the voice, making her way towards a larger room, one with an elongated table with different types of chairs. There were various teacups in different sizes and types settled around the table, a sleepy girl with mouse ears was sitting with her arms folded next to another man, a blonde-haired man that wore teal and violet, possessing a violet top-hat that was decorated in cards.

“Welcome, lovely lady, to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party!” Said the blonde, smiling brightly at her.

* * *

“The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.” Alice repeated to herself, looking mostly at the table and the teacups. She had to keep herself from cringing at the word ‘tea’, which she took to be nothing more than wet leaves than anything worth _drinking_. Though, when she looked back at the blond, she had a feeling that he would take offense to that. She forced on a smile and nodded, approaching the table and choosing a chair in the middle.

“No, no, come here, sit with us.” Said the blonde, still smiling widely at her. He pat the empty spot at his left, “Sit sit, we rarely have guests.”

“Alright.” Alice pushed the chair back in and went to the one at his side, pulling it out and sitting down. If she looked at him any closer, she would notice that his eyes were as teal as his outfit. She looked down at her empty teacup, leaning back when the Hatter took the nearest kettle and filled it up with hot tea.

“You’re not a role holder, or else we’d recognize you.” Said the man, “Are you an outsider by any chance?” He set his chin in his hands, watching as Alice reached for the tray of cookies.

“That’s what they’re telling me.” She replied with a shrug, “My name’s Alice.”

“Alice, what a lovely name!” The man grinned, “We welcome you to Wonderland. He is Leopold, though if you’re any lucky you will also meet the Professor and possibly the Duchess. Your presence here may inspire them to make their appearance.”

Alice blinked, “…where are they?”

Leopold kept his grin, “They all reside in the Hatter’s head, dear. We are but three people in one body, in which people insist we are mad because of it, but no, we are not mad, we’re perfectly _sane_.”

She chose not to comment on his mental health, as it wasn’t her position. Though for this world she wasn’t even surprised at his admission. So far she’s seen a lack of time and gravity, lack of physics, so of course someone would be three people at once. “I’ll take your word for it, Leopold.”

“Call him Butters.” The man insisted, “Leopold is such a boring name.” He paused then, and suddenly, he spoke in a high-pitched voice, “Marjorine isn’t any better.” After a moment his voice changed again, “Well at least you two _have_ a name.”

Alice watched quietly as the Hatter processed through all three identities at once, trying not to think more about it than she had to. This was the weirdest case of MPD she’s ever heard of, and she had a feeling that her sister would have wanted to take him aside for a chat if she was here.

Thankfully she wasn’t.

Butters seemed to have come back to himself, reaching for the cup in front of him and taking a sip. “Boo, it’s cold.” He quickly threw it behind himself, the tea propelling through the air before splashing onto the floor. Alice watched bewilderedly as faceless maids appeared from around the corner to clean his mess. Butters paid it no mind, refilling his teacup and taking another sip.

Alice looked back down at her tea, hesitant to try it. Though the longer she went into not drinking it, the more Butters had noticed, and he looked over at Alice with a scrutinizing glance. “You haven’t touched your tea.” He noted.

Alice thought her words over carefully, “I don’t like tea.”

Something must have happened, a switch had flipped, and suddenly Butters slammed his hands onto the table, stirring the mouse-girl at his side. “Don’t TELL me you’re one of those coffee fanatics! Disgusting. Don’t you realize that tea is the bounty of life? Coffee is bitter and tasteless, smelling like black tar. You can easily burn coffee and its taste would bitter your tongue. Tea is more than a drink, it’s an art form. Brewing tea is an artist’s work, you can never go wrong with the many selections, while _coffee_ only has one flavor, muck. And—“

Alice was thrown into a fifteen minute tirade over why tea was better than coffee. She only sat there, watching as Butters continued to rant and rave and praise tea. She guessed that she said the wrong thing. “Butters—“

“I am not that half-wit.” The man spat out, looking offended. “You may call me The Professor. Although we are all offended by your slanderous words, lady Alice.”

“Would it make you feel better if I drank it?” She asked then, not willing to listen to more of his spiel.

The Professor thought about it for a moment, glancing at her cup. “No, for a deviant like you, this tea is insufficient.” He reached for her cup and tossed it over his shoulder, splashing the contents of the tea to the floor. Again, the maids arrived to clean it up. “For you, we need to bring out our best tea to make you see the light.” He then clapped his hands together, “Bring me my finest black tea!” He shouted to no one, though Alice had a feeling that someone had heard him.

The man continued to scrutinize her with a glare, studying her, mainly the eyes she possessed, “Outsiders are considered special, we can see why.” He said then.

That’s what the caterpillar told her, and Alice frowned, “What do you mean by special?”

The Professor looked away, “Despite your abhorrent taste in tea, we cannot find fault with you. Outsiders become loved by everyone of this world, we assume it’s because there aren’t many of you that pass through our doors. If you continue to stay in this world it will become harder for you to leave, as we will become attached.”

“Is that why the King wants me as his Queen?” She asked suddenly, catching The Professor off-guard.

“The King what?”

“I met the King and he wanted me to be the Queen.” Alice explained, “I’m not here for that so I left.”

The Professor stared at her, “You _left_ Heart Castle?”

Alice shrugged, eating a cookie as she thought for a moment, “It’s easy to jump out of a two-story high window.” She said nonchalantly.

He continued to stare at her, though on the inside all three of them were up in arms. She was an outsider, but the King wanted her as their Queen! The King wished to make her a role holder. But did she know what that entailed? Was this why no one has found anyone to be the replacement Queen? The role was passed upon to an outsider! They had to admit, for an outsider she was unique. They wouldn’t mind if she had taken the role, and the longer they thought about it, the more they wished to keep her in Wonderland. No one would ever imagine a secret tryst between the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts, but that was only if they could win her favor.

“You’re full of surprises.” The Professor finally decided, “Though we need to ask, how were you able to get here?”

As Alice opened her mouth to reply another person entered the room. Whatever she was going to say was lost quickly, the woman shoving herself from her seat, “Kenny!”

The Cat stopped in his tracks, almost dropping the wooden box in his hands, “Alice?” He went to the table, setting the box down and hurrying over to her, “How did you get here?”

The woman grinned at him, “I snuck in after you left.”

The admission made Kenny laugh and he went to hug her tight, “You’re really smitten with this kitten are you?” He chuckled.

“You’re the one to talk.” She shoved him away playfully, laughing when he only went back to hugging her.

The sight of the Cat and the outsider getting along so well was something that didn’t pass by the Hatter without notice. They reflected back to the time they called him to demand the tea… they weren’t stupid. So Alice came here through the Cat, they thought. The way they continued to cling to each other was so sweet… They felt like their teeth were going to rot. No, this wasn’t something that they wanted if Alice was going to stay in Wonderland. The Cat was the lowest role a holder could have, and she was to be the Queen, the most important role… the Queen in love with the Cat just sounded wrong and filthy.

Disgusting.

“Ahem.” The Hatter pronounced his cough, waiting for both of them to stop talking. “Kenny, our tea. We wish for Alice to taste our finest tea.”

“You and your tea.” Kenny rolled his eyes, leaning towards Alice, “Careful,” He whispered, “They will talk your ear off about tea.”

Alice smirked at him, “I already told him I didn’t like it…whoever it was.”

Kenny burst out laughing, “You and me both.” He said honestly, “Because we all know coffee is better.” He said it loud enough for the Hatter to hear him.

“KENNY!” Cried the Hatter, and the blonde cat-man only grinned and darted away with the tea box. “What nerve, we can’t believe we allow that vagrant into our home.”

Alice giggled, something that the Hatter caught immediately. He felt his heart skip a beat and he sighed. Yes, she had to become Queen. She needed to stay here. “How do you know Kenny, may we ask?”

The woman smiled as she thought about it. “He came into the coffee shop—“ the Hatter cringed at the word, “—and I bought him food, he followed me home and…” She trailed off, “We share something.” Alice said honestly, “I don’t know what it is about him but he’s the reason why I’m here. I hope to leave with him when he’s ready.”

His eyebrow quirked. So Kenny was trying to leave his role. “Is that so?” They thought about what they were told, slowly getting up from their chair and going over to her. He took her hand, “We hate to break it to you, but who you’re fawning over is nothing but a thief.” The Hatter whispered, “The Cheshire Cat isn’t someone you should be friendly with, there’s a reason why he has no set home. We only employ him because we pity him.”

Alice slid her hand from his grasp, “I think I’m a pretty good judge of character. I like Kenny, and Kenny likes me.”

“Does Kenny like you for you or does Kenny like you because you’re an outsider?” The Hatter questioned, watching her. Her stare never wavered.

“You tell me. He was in _my_ world, surrounded by dozens of other _outsiders_ like me, yet he decided to follow _me_ home.” She smiled at that, “I think he’s the one good thing that happened to me since my…” She felt the crinkle of the envelope in her pocket, remembering her rejection letter.

The Hatter remained silent, only breaking it when there was a visitor. He heard the door knocker slam into the door and he decided to leave the room, “We’ll return.” He told her.

Alice sighed, going back to her seat, though nearly jumping when she felt hands on her shoulders. She looked up quickly, seeing the lovely blue eyes of the subject at hand. She smiled, and he returned it.

“I heard everything.” He told her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “He’s right you know, my role here is the most unpopular role, I don’t even like it.”

“What do you mean by role?” Alice asked, “That’s all I’ve been hearing people talk about, roles…”

Kenny went to sit next to her, “There’s two different types of people in Wonderland. Those with roles, and those without. The ones without roles are faceless, and once a role chooses us we become a role-holder and we’re to play the part until our lives end. The role of the Cheshire Cat is one that no one wants, because no one is to trust me. I’m basically a thief, I steal things and that’s my role. I don’t really live anywhere.” He shrugged, “The Hatter is only being nice to me because I can steal him the tea from Heart Castle. I get him tea, he gives me a place to sleep.”

Alice nodded quietly, “So you _are_ a stray…” She smiled slightly, “A cute little kitty cat that followed me home. Why did you do that, anyway?”

Kenny blushed a little, looking away, “You’re the only one who was genuinely nice to me.”

She felt her heart go heavy, hating the fact that she was the only one. “You came to my world to get away from yours, did you?”

Kenny smiled slightly, “Can you blame me? Your world is already fun and interesting…everyone has a role. Everyone is treated equally. I hate living here.”

Alice reached over to take his hands, moving them up to her lips to kiss his knuckles. “Let’s go back home then. I have enough room in my apartment to share, and I wouldn’t mind showing you the rest of my inventions.”

He felt his heart go light, “Do you mean it?”

“Of course I do. Although, I have to admit that they’re right. You are a thief.” She grinned, “Because you stole my heart.”

It took a moment for Kenny to process what she said, smiling widely and leaning forward to kiss her.

As Kenny and Alice were sharing an intimate moment, the Hatter was answering to a guest. The man smiled at the other man in front of him, a ginger-haired man wearing a knight’s uniform, a sword at his hip and a cape attached to his shoulders. He didn’t look happy nor sad, a stoic look of seriousness clouding over any other emotion.

“Yes?” The Hatter asked.

“I’m here on behalf of the King,” Kyle began, “Our Queen has gone missing and we were wondering if you’ve seen her. She looks like an outsider, but her eyes are of two different colors.” The man looked down at his notes, “Of sapphires and emeralds…” He cringed at the words, as they were the direct words from his King.

Butters smiled widely, “Oh, you mean Alice?” A mischievous glint sparkled in his sea-green eyes, and he stepped aside to allow Kyle entry. “We’ve been having a lovely tea-party with the dear girl, quite the joy.”

Kyle kept his eyes on Butters, “Are you sure? Because if you’re just messing with me I’ll be sure to kick your ass all the way to Heart Castle for this.”

“Oh, no, no, no, she’s definitely your Queen. The same eyes and everything.” The man led Kyle further down the corridor, only taking notice of the three other guards once he turned around. “She’s with the Cat, and we’ve tried to warn her against him, but she’s _smitten_.”

Kyle didn’t know how to respond to that, so he didn’t, heading into the room after Butters.

“Oh, Alice—“

Kenny and Alice separated quickly, the latter of the two going red at the fact that they had been caught. Though, all the embarrassment slowly drained away from her face the longer her eyes lingered on the guards that came directly from Heart Castle. “Uh—“

“You’re wanted by the King.” Kyle said to her, stepping forward. “Come with us, and don’t try and run, I’m not really in the mood to chase you in this place.” Even _he_ knew about the chaotic layout of the Hatter Mansion, hating everything about it.

Kenny frowned, “What does he want her for?” He was growing defensive, getting out of his seat to get in front of her. The last thing he wanted was for Alice to come here to find him only to be beheaded.

“She’s our new Queen.” Kyle said flatly, eying Kenny with caution. “Is there a problem?” His hand fell to the sword at his hip.

“Queen?” Kenny’s eyebrows shot into his hair, turning to look at Alice, “Huh?”

Alice stood up, “I don’t want it as much as they do.” She glared at Kyle, “What if I refuse?”

The guards behind Kyle looked confused. Who would refuse the Queen’s role? Even Kyle looked caught for a moment before shaking his head, “It doesn’t matter, one cannot just deny their role.”

Bullshit. Alice wasn’t going to accept any of this, “I want to have a little word with the King then.” She said to them.

Kenny didn’t know what was happening, first Alice was here and now she’s the Queen? Everything was confusing and he didn’t like it. No, she couldn’t become the Queen. The Queen was the most important role, she wouldn’t be able to return home. He wanted to take her home. But they couldn’t just fight their way back to the chapel, because if Stan went in there the first time then Kenny knew he’d go in there again. He began to think fast, keeping his eyes on Kyle as he approached Alice. “Wait.” He said then, stopping Kyle’s pace. Kenny turned to Alice and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “I’ll return for you.” He whispered to her before Kenny was pulled out of the way by one of the guards.

Alice didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, but Kenny’s words gave her hope. She managed to sneak out the last time, so doing it again would be a breeze. “Fine, fine.” She pulled herself from Kyle’s grasp just as he grabbed her arm.

The Hatter watched with veiled interest, having sat back down in his seat to enjoy some piping hot tea. He could only smile when Kenny glared his way, shrugging lightly. When the guards have left with Alice, Kenny marched over to the Hatter, placing his hands on the table. “You knew about this, did you?”

“We were told, yes.” The man kept his smile, “Why are you so against Alice becoming Queen? She was chosen for the role.”

“You know very well we’re not willing for any of this.” Kenny hissed out, “I was never willing to become this!”

“You say _you’re_ not willing, but we’ve come to accept our roles.” The Hatter tutted, “Or are you just sad that once she’s Queen you won’t be able to go near her?”

Kenny bared his teeth, “I’m going to get her back home and this will be the last you’re ever seeing of me. I’m not coming back.” With that he turned and left, making his way out of the room.

The Hatter could only whistle, “You’re right, you won’t be coming back.” He said to himself, “Because the King is going to murder you before you can even try.”

* * *

In the time it took to make it back to the castle it had been nighttime, evening, day, dawn, and back to nighttime again. Alice didn’t like the sudden shifts in the day or night cycle, wondering how people got any sleep in such a random time shift. Perhaps that’s why she hadn’t seen a clock yet in the whole world, because time was just an illusion at this point. Though, if she wasn’t tired before then she was really tired now, the trek into and out of the forest was starting to catch up with her. Wasn’t she planning on getting a nap in? Maybe when Kenny helped her escape then the two of them could cuddle up together in her own bed.

Kyle hadn’t said a thing the whole time they walked, either he was antisocial or he didn’t have anything to talk about, either way the walk felt very tense, the three guards standing at her sides and back while Kyle led the front. It was like they were afraid to her running away again.

_“You are untouched by zhe roles of zhis world, unless you become zhe Queen, zhen you inherit ‘er role. You won’t be able to leave if zhat ‘appens.”_

Alice remembered the French caterpillar’s words, sighing. “Hey, is there a way you guys could find a new Queen?”

Kyle frowned, “The only way we can find a new Queen is if you died somehow.”

Well, that was out of the question. She grimaced at the answer, “So I can’t just…say no.”

“There isn’t a way out, roles are roles, and we have to live by them.”

She watched Kyle’s back, remembering that he had a face as well, pale with freckles and bright green eyes… “What role is yours?”

“I am the Ace of Hearts, the finest knight that the King has.” He also had the experience of being Stan’s best friend long before their roles were chosen, but she did not need to know that. He was only happy to have been chosen for a role near Stan’s side, even if he was only the King’s knight.

Though sometimes it was hard.

Alice wondered, did they all hate their roles like Kenny did? She couldn’t understand the rules of this world, it was like a play. People were being given their roles to play a part, and they had to play it until they died. Was this whole world just a one-act play? If so, how did she get the role as Queen when she wasn’t in the play to begin with? Much like everything else in this world, it didn’t make any sense.

She only hoped that she could convince the King that she wasn’t meant to be Queen.

By the time they had made it back to the Heart Castle it was now dusk, another erratic shift in time that was starting to bother her. She was forced to enter the castle first, the woman having grown moody with the fact that she was being pulled into this play.

Kyle ignored her glare, taking her down the corridor and into the throne room. “I found her at Hatter Mansion.” He announced as they arrived, Stan had already stood from his seat and hurried over to Alice, shoving Kyle out of his way. Hurt passed Kyle’s eyes briefly before it was veiled away just as fast, the man standing aside and watching Stan grasp Alice’s hands so he could kiss them.

“I knew you’d find her.” Stan told his knight, smiling. “Very good, we’ll set up the coronation as soon as possible.”

“Hold on cowboy.” Alice removed her hands from his grasp, “I didn’t even say I’d go along with this rodeo.”

The terms flew over Stan and Kyle’s heads, the two of them looking confused for a split second before Stan moved his hand around Alice’s shoulders, leading her forward. “You don’t have a choice, this isn’t just a role, Alice, it’s a gift. We were chosen for this. I was chosen to rule this world, and you were chosen to rule at my side. We were destined to be together, don’t you see? I need you just as you need me.”

Alice managed to untangle him from her, “I don’t need you, I don’t need any of this. All I want is to go home with Kenny.”

Stan fell silent, “Kenny.”

“The Cat, my King.” Kyle clarified.

The man cringed, ignoring that fact, “Alice, honey, my dear, my love, how about you rest your head, let the White Rabbit send you to bed. You can sleep on this and then you’ll realize that this is the best decision for you.”

Tweek, who was standing at the throne, made a quick cry and hurried over to Alice. Everyone in the throne room knew something was wrong when their King began to speak in rhymes. He ushered Alice away, “Let’s go, let’s go.” He begged.

Alice was confused, but the invitation to sleep sounded so good right now, especially if it meant she’d be sent to a room without supervision. All she had to do was wait for Kenny. “A-alright.” She finally said, letting the White Rabbit lead her.

Kyle watched his King worriedly, “Stan—“

Stan whirled around once Alice was out of sight, glaring at Kyle, “The Cat? The CAT? What is it about the Cat that she likes so much? Doesn’t she know that he’s a thief with a filthy touch?”

Yep. Stan was rhyming… Kyle sighed, “The Hatter told me enough, she’s _smitten_ with him. They seem to know each other, though how, I do not know. Her eyes are set on him, not on being Queen.”

“She can’t set her eyes on that filthy cat. She was meant to be with me, not that rat.” Stan glared at nothing in particular.

“Stan, you’re rhyming.”

“Do you think I do not know the words that I currently sew?” He winced badly, taking a steady breath, “How do I fix this?” He looked at his friend, “How do I make her blind to him?”

“Well, do what you do best, Stan.” Kyle suggested, uncomfortable with having to give him advice on wooing a woman he hardly knew. He hated his role sometimes… First Wendy, now _Alice_. The only good thing about this was that he was still close to Stan, but not in the way he wanted.

Stan nodded, feeling the small pocket watch in his chest pocket. “I think I know what to do.”

Alice, meanwhile, was staring at the locked doors to the balcony, glass doors that they had obviously installed to curb her from being tempted to jump a second time. She sighed, making her way to the bed and collapsing onto it, resting her head on the pillow. It was night again, and her body was starting to protest to the constant activity without any rest. “How do I get outnow? I don’t know how to pick a lock.” She closed her eyes for a moment, resting.

After a while, however, she began to hear small picking noises. She slowly opened her eyes, looking towards the sound and seeing Kenny knelt down on the other side of the doors, picking the lock. She smiled widely when there was an audible click, and he casually opened them, standing back up so he could strut in with a grin on his face.

“Someone call for a rescue?”

“Kenny!” Alice breathed happily, hurrying over to him so she could hug him tightly. He hugged back just as tight, swinging her in his arms before kissing her gently, their foreheads pressing together as soon as it broke.

“I can’t wait to go back home with you.” He said softly.

“We’d have to find a way to hide those ears…” She mused, reaching up to scratch behind them, feeling his tail curl around her leg, “And that.” A laugh escaped her.

“I think they go away as soon as my role does.” Kenny explained, “I wasn’t born with them.”

“Well, let’s get back as quickly as possible.” She kissed him again.

Before the two could even take a step forward, the doors burst open, “I knew I’d find you here!” A voice shouted.

Alice cried out, grasping Kenny’s hand, “Run!” The two of them hurried to the balcony, only to stop, watching a half-dozen guards crowd around the bottom. Alice grit her teeth, looking back only to see four guards behind them. They instantly reached for Kenny, grabbing him by both of his arms and forcefully dragging him out. “Kenny!” Alice cried, but as she moved to do something two arms grappled hers, holding her back.

“Don’t move.” Said Kyle, looking over at the guards, “He is to be executed on the King’s orders.”

“KENNY!” Alice cried, trying to lunge herself from Kyle’s grasp but his grip was too tight, and Kenny tried the same, only to get pulled the opposite direction.

“Alice!” He shouted, being forced out of the room, “I’ll come back for you!” He cried, “I promise!”

“Empty promises from someone who will soon lose his head.” Said Stan as he entered the room, watching Kenny be pulled out. He looked satisfied, his opinion on the Cat was already low. He walked inside the room, the doors shutting behind him as he made his way to Alice. “You can’t run from your role, it isn’t something that you can’t control.” He smiled, watching her glare at him. She looked so beautiful when she was angry…

“I’m not going to accept this you asshole!” Alice shouted, “You can’t just—“ She teared up, “You can’t just kill him!”

“I can and I did.” Stan stopped in front of her. He reached to cup her cheek before she ripped herself away from his touch. “Hold her still.” He told Kyle.

Alice cried out, the grip on her wrists becoming tighter. She began to panic, wondering what was going to happen. Oh Jesus she couldn’t even fight back in this awkward position, his grip was so strong—it’s like he knew—

Stan casually pulled out the small golden pocket watch, holding it out to her, “What time is it, Alice?” He clicked the lock, the lid flying open. Alice fell for the ruse instantly, her eyes falling onto the watch face, its hands spinning rapidly fast. The longer she stared at it the more she couldn’t look away, her thoughts completely going blank.

Stan looked pleased, stepping closer to her. “That’s right, just keep watching it.” He said steadily, “Now focus on my voice, just my voice.”

“Just your voice.” Alice repeated, sounding like she was in a trance. Her eyes never left the watch face.

Kyle really fucking hated his role, finally letting go of Alice. She didn’t react, or turn to retaliate, only standing there, caught in the hypnotic pull. Stan pointed him to the door and the man nodded, making his way out.

He remembered when they were children before the roles had chosen them, how Stan was someone else entirely. He was kinder, he cared about others. He became emotional when animals were harmed. Now he was before a man who could care less about lives of people he thought were less than his own, a man who freely manipulated others to get what he wanted, and all Kyle could do was give Stan whatever he wanted, even at the cost of his own emotions.

He felt disgusted with himself.

Stan waited until he heard the click of the door shutting, moving closer to Alice, “You’re perfectly content in this world, Alice. You’ve been selected as the Queen, it’s your dream come true.”

“Dream…come true.”

“Of course… The world you came from, it doesn’t matter. It’s not even a thought in your head. You love it here, you _want_ to become Queen. You can’t imagine returning to that place. That Cat is nothing to you, he’s just a waste of space. Everything you need is right here, with me.” He kissed the side of her head, moving his free hand to trace the edge of her face. “Your King is right beside you, Alice. When I close this watch you will forget everything that isn’t important, because the most important thing is _me_. You were meant to be with me…”

He closed the watch slowly, the click of the lock snapping her out of her trance. Alice blinked a few times, silent, her eyes looking away from the closed watch to find Stan standing so close to her. She smiled slowly.

Stan returned the smile, putting his watch back into his pocket before pulling her into a soft kiss. She instantly returned it, sighing and moving to hook her arms around his neck. Stan grinned against the kiss and pressed forward, urging her back towards the bed. She let herself be pushed, falling atop of it and staring up at Stan. The man kept his grin, kneeling down to kiss her again.

Alice began to tear up as he moved his hands lower, feeling him press his knee between her legs. She shuddered at the cold touch to her skin, but while he carried her into the throes of passion, the one thing she couldn’t stop doing was crying.

She didn’t know why she was crying.

* * *

When Alice woke up, she realized she wasn’t alone. She glanced over at her right, seeing Stan laying at her side, watching her. She felt sad once she saw him, but she didn’t understand why. She loved him, didn’t she?

The man reached over to brush some hair from her face, “It’s almost time.” He told her gently, “You’ll soon be Queen.”

She didn’t answer, she couldn’t find any words to answer him with. This was what she wanted, right? This is why she left her world. It didn’t matter anymore. Instead of answering him she reached up to pull him back down for a kiss, hoping that it would quell the strange feeling of sorrow inside of her. He looked pleased at what she had done, cupping her cheek with his hand as he lingered, only breaking it so they could breathe.

Whatever sorrow that was inside of her was quelled and she finally smiled at him. “Do we have to leave now?”

Stan chuckled, moving to hold her from behind. “Time doesn’t exist here. There’s no date to keep, but I want to get this done as soon as possible.” He kissed the back of her neck, “I can’t wait to call you my Queen.”

“Don’t you already do that?” She mused, remembering the night before.

He only grinned in response, finally moving to get out of bed. Alice did the same, her eyes falling onto the glass windows of the balcony and settling there. That feeling of sorrow threatened to sink back into her, and she forced herself to look away, getting up to join Stan in the bath.

Once they were cleaned and out Alice found that the bed had been made and clothing was laying out on either side of the bed for both of them. She took one look at the dress that was placed there, cringing. “I should tell them I hate dresses.” She said with a sigh.

“We can fix that.” Stan went about putting on his uniform. “They will make you whatever you wish, and if they can’t we can always behead them.”

She hesitated at the thought of beheading someone, “Maybe we don’t go that far.” She reasoned, “I’m not really the type to murder …people.” She fell silent again, feeling a sharp pang in her heart. The woman’s eyes lingered on the dress, the blue satin dress with white ruffled apron. She started with the new underwear she was given, simple cotton undergarments, her eyes moving to the striped stockings. Really?

Alice wondered where they placed her hoodie and hiking boots, shrugging after a moment and dressing herself. At the foot of the bed were a pair of mary-janes, in her size, to which she wondered how they got her size in the first place. In fact, the entire outfit fit perfectly. Did they measure her while she was asleep?

She didn’t want to think about it more than she had to.

When the two of them were dressed Stan led her out of the room and down the corridors, into a dining room where a selection of breakfast foods were waiting for them. She told them what she wanted, growing hungry just looking at everything and eating like she hadn’t eaten in days. Stan felt amused at how she ate without proper manners, watching her enjoy everything. When Alice was thirsty she went for the cup at her side, stopping when she saw that it was tea.

_“Careful, they will talk your ear off about tea.”_

Alice continued to stare at the cup, “I don’t like tea.” She said aloud.

_“You and me both. Because we all know coffee is better.”_

“Someone give your Queen something other than tea.” Stan commanded to one of the servants, catching Alice off guard. She shook herself out of her thoughts, watching as they replaced her cup of tea with something different. Coffee.

“The White Rabbit is crazy over the stuff.” Stan explained, and Alice nodded absently, taking the cup to her lips to take a drink.

Again, a sharp pain pierced her heart.

When they were done Alice felt despondent. She didn’t know why she was continuing to get sad, and when she looked at Stan, he was completely the opposite. He looked excited and happy, and all Alice could feel was a hole in her heart where she knew something… _someone_ was missing.

They went from the dining room to the courtyard, where multiple pews were set up, two rows on either side of a long, red carpet where two thrones sat at the front, one of them holding a crown. There were dignitaries and townsfolk filling up the seats. From there Alice could see the rabbit-man that Tweek had entered his house with. “Who is that?” She asked, pointing to the black-haired man.

“The March Hare, one of the Hatter’s men.” Stan told her, “Oh, and I see the Duchess is out today!” He directed her eyes to a blonde woman with pigtails, a small violet top-hat sitting atop her head, the woman wearing a teal and violet dress with cards decorating the bottom. Their eyes met, and the Duchess winked at Alice, the brunette looking away quickly.

Indeed, every person with a role seemed to be out, even a wandering butterfly with green wings. Alice kept scanning the crowd, frowning. There was someone missing from the group, someone important.

Where was he?

Stan ushered her back into the castle, where Kyle was waiting, holding Stan’s kingly robes. A maid was beside him, holding Alice’s robe as well, the two of them waiting. Kyle looked pained, but he said nothing about it. Alice only watched on, knowing that look. He looked how she felt right now. Eventually, she accepted her robe, and as Stan took his crown, the horns began to blare.

“It’s time.” He told her, smiling and holding out his hand.

Alice stared at it for a second, hesitantly taking it. She felt like she had swallowed moths, her stomach feeling worked up. When the music began to play Stan proceeded to lead her out, their robes trailing behind them. Kyle brought up the rear, looking nearly devastated. He didn’t want this, he didn’t want any of this. But he was just the Ace of Hearts, this was his role. Why did he have to be forced to abide by his role when Alice was actively trying to escape hers? Even Kenny, he did his best to escape his role. Just for once Kyle wanted to break his role and do what his heart wanted. He wanted a chance.

Just one chance.

Stan let go of Alice’s hand and continued forward to the throne, picking up the crown on the other seat and raising it up. “For the longest time, we’ve been without a Queen.” His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, “We did not assume that an outsider had been chosen to take on the role. But now, our Queen is right here with us.”

Alice felt in the spotlight as everyone’s eyes (and lack thereof) were on her.

“Today, we are cementing her place within Wonderland, as she takes upon the role that she has been chosen for.”

Something about this made her feel uneasy, and she couldn’t understand. Why didn’t any of this feel right?

Stan smiled at her, catching her eyes, “Alice, step forward.”

Alice nodded, her legs feeling weak as she took a step forward.

Suddenly, the villagers began to scream.

“The Cat!”

“Where did he come from?”

“He’s here!”

Alice froze to the spot, whipping around to see Kenny leaping down from over the castle walls, breaking out into a run for Alice. She stayed still, her emotions warring with each other.

“How is he alive?” Stan shouted, turning his glare onto a guard, “I thought he was beheaded!”

“He was, we saw it!” The guard cried out, “Honest!”

“A Cat has nine lives, don’t you remember?” Kenny dodged a knight and jumped over another, making his way to Alice and grasping her tight. “I told you I’d come back.”

Alice only stared forward, in complete shock. “—Cat?”

“Alice, it’s me.” Kenny frowned, looking at her with concern. The only thing she could do was stand there, all the thoughts conflicting in her head. She didn’t know what to do, her emotions were in an endless tug-of-war.

“—Kenny?” Alice choked out a sob, feeling tears escape the corners of her eyes.

“GUARDS!” Stan snarled, “I want him dead!”

“Stand back!” Kyle shouted as soon as Stan spoke up, his orders going against the King’s. The guards didn’t know what to do, stuck between two orders that they weren’t moving one way or the other.

Stan grit his teeth, “What?” He glared at Kyle, “What are you doing?”

“Can’t you see this is a sign?” Kyle shouted, going over to Stan.

“You’re going against your King!” Stan warned, “You’re breaking your role.”

“Maybe it’s about damn time for a role to break,” Kyle pointed at Kenny and Alice, “If they can do it then so can I!”

With that Kyle reached for Stan by his shirt and pulled, kissing him hard, effectively stunning the King into silence.

Kenny whistled, his eyes sparkling at the sight, “That’s a good idea.” He pulled Alice forward and did the same, kissing her like he did the first time they met.

Alice’s eyes widened, tears streaming down her cheeks as the kiss triggered everything to come back, the memories, the emotions, she shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around Kenny’s neck, “You’re alive!” She cried out.

“I’m not going to leave without you.” Kenny told her gently, taking her hand. “Let’s go.”

Alice hesitated, looking at the King, “But what about—“

Kenny grinned, watching Kyle doing his best to distract the King, his arm pointing them to leave quickly. “He’s occupied, let’s go.”

Those that were watching this happened were also too stunned to move, the guards were left unable to act, too confused. The Duchess only chuckled, watching Kenny and Alice run off and crossing her legs. “We guess there won’t be a Queen after all.” She mused.

The two of them ran as fast as they could to the chapel, Alice removing her robes as she did, the red velvet draping over some rose bushes. Kenny kept his grip tight on her hand, hurrying both of them into the little building and up the stairs to the second floor loft. They stopped, seeing the White Rabbit standing in front of the mirror, having waited for them.

“Tweek.” Kenny stepped forward.

“Nngh you really know how to wreak havoc do you?” The jittery blonde twitched, “Stealing away the Queen and abandoning your role.”

“Some people don’t want their lives chosen for them.” Kenny told him calmly, “I’m sure you can understand that, since you’re in a secret relationship with Craig.”

Tweek’s eye twitched and he worried his lip. “I just want to know if you’re really sure about this.” He continued, “Do you really want to leave and never come back?”

Kenny tightened his grip on Alice’s hand, looking over at the woman. She returned his glance, smiling reassuringly at him. “I’ve never been so sure in my life.” He said honestly.

Tweek nodded, “I know how to break your role. Both of your roles.”

Alice tilted her head, “I thought roles couldn’t be broken.”

“They can.” He took out a sledgehammer, holding it near the head. “Now go.”

Kenny and Alice looked at each other, the two of them breaking out into a grin and Kenny lead her forward. “I want to go to Alice’s world.” Kenny said aloud to the looking glass. “Back to her home.”

Alice watched on, the reflection that mirrored their images beginning to ripple, changing into the interior of Alice’s apartment. Her smile widened, and she jumped in place, “That’s my apartment!” She cried out.

“Let’s go then.” Kenny was the first to step in, pulling Alice along with him and into the looking glass.

As soon as the two of them were gone Tweek took the sledgehammer and aimed for the looking glass, slamming it forward so hard that the entire thing shattered into a million pieces. He let out a cry when he did, jumping back after it was done.

“Good luck.” He said to them, despite them not being there to hear it.

Kenny was the first one into Alice’s apartment, pulling Alice through enough for her to trip and run into him. They began to laugh, turning their attention to her mirror as it became a simple reflection once again.

“That’s an adventure that I don’t want again.” She said with a sigh, turning back to Kenny. She paused, reaching up and feeling his head. “Your ears are gone.”

Kenny blinked, reaching up and feeling his ears, feeling them now on the side of his head, human ears, not the cat ears further up north. “Holy shit.” He went back to the mirror, going over his reflection. “That means my role is gone…but my face is still visible.”

“Everyone has a face in this world.” Alice told him, moving over to her couch and collapsing against it. “There’s a lot about this world you’re going to have to learn about.”

Kenny smiled, turning away from the mirror and heading over to her, flopping on the couch and laying his head in her lap. “I can’t wait to learn, I bet you’re a good teacher.”

Alice giggled, and Kenny sighed, feeling her carding her fingers through his hair. He reached into his pocket idly, touching something smooth. He pulled it out and looked at it, eyeing the small silver-framed mirror in his hand. Alice looked at it as well, the two of them exchanging looks before their eyes trailed over to her mirror.

Kenny promptly got up and tossed the mirror into the nearest trash.

“I’m home.”

-END


End file.
